A disillusioned soldier in a future warwith sentient machineschooses to protect their nascent messiah over his country’s interests. John David Washington continues to astound in a well-crafted sci-fi thriller with critical pertinent themes.The Creatorstrikes at the heart of a raging debate over the capabilities and possible threats of artificial intelligence. Will the robots created to make human life easier turn on their masters once self-realization is inevitably achieved?The Creatorpredicts that humanity’s age-old afflictions of ignorance, hatred, and violence will prove to be more destructive than our worst fears.
An opening ’50s-styled montage shows how the advent of artificial intelligence transforms society. Machines go from clunky assistants to fully simulant co-workers integrated in every facet of human life. They cook, clean, babysit, and become law enforcement officers. People even volunteer their likeness, so new generations of simulants can look like us. A catastrophic incident changes American calculus in a terrifying instant. Wired friends become enemies and are deemed an existential danger to our survival.
Congress authorizes the military to exterminate AI simulants globally with prejudice. Trillions are dedicated to create a space station capable of moving quickly and launching decimating attacks. NOMAD is the most powerful offensive weapon ever created. But America’s view of AI isn’t shared by the rest of the planet. New Asia believes simulants and humanity are meant to work together in peace. These countries harbor AI beings and attempt to provide a safe refuge from NOMAD’s wrath. Their only option is to run and hide until US spies uncover a dangerous new development.
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John David Washington as Joshua
Joshua (Washington) goes to his job as a decontamination specialist in a daze. The former special forces soldier attends psychological evaluations to gauge his recovery from physical and emotional trauma. His therapist can tell he’s lying about getting better, but that’s no longer a concern. The military needs his services as a matter of national security.
Colonel Howell (Allison Janney) informs Joshua that the leader of the simulants, an unknown individual called Nirmata (Nepalese for ‘The Creator’) has developed new technology that will change the tide of the war. She believes an event in Joshua’s past can lead them to Nirmata’s location. He reluctantly accepts the mission, but the raid takes a truly unexpected direction. Alpha One (Madeleine Yuna Voyles) is a simulant unlike any he’s ever encountered.
Director/co-writer Gareth Edwards(Godzilla, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) chooses an emotional path to drive a narrative based on crushing loss. Joshua’s reasons for following Howell have nothing to do with patriotism or vengeance. Despair allows for a Devil’s Bargain in which his personal goals may actually lead to more destructive consequences. Alfie, his nickname for Alpha One, struggles to understand the concept of death. She’s a child of science taught that good peoplego to heavenwhen their physical body can no longer function. But does a simulant have a soul? What will happen to her if she ‘dies?’ Joshua, who pointedly tells Alfie he doesn’t deserve a place in heaven, has a crisis of conscience. Can he doom an innocent to a cruel fate if a supposed greater purpose warrants her murder?
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The Creatorhas banner visual effects and riveting action scenes. Anyone who felt robbed of epic nuclear blasts inOppenheimerwill get their mushroom cloud fill in spades here. Edwards, who unleashed the Death Star’s potential in a galaxy far, far away, brings its little brother off the bench for Earth-bound annihilation. NOMAD’s appearance means the plate is about to be wiped clean. I did find it strange that New Asia was so helpless and unable to counterattack. The assumption must be that it could easily defend against conventional methods. Regardless, NOMAD’s pretty cool along with the standard laser rifle combat. Audiences can ignore the philosophical underpinnings to watch lots of stuff spectacularly explode.
Alpha One’s Purpose
It pains me to bring up this topic, but our divided times will undoubtedly stir current geopolitical and nationalistic debate into this film.The Creatorhas America as the antagonists willing to commit AI genocide without a thought of collateral casualties. NOMAD is a sledgehammer, not a scalpel. The explanation for this wrath is clearly given in the first act. Also, New Asia isn’t specifically defined. The racial composition of the cities and action depicted feels like a referenceto the Vietnam War. A measured response would be to view the United States as the dominant hegemon able to enforce its will through unrestrained might. Joshua becomes the valiant rebel fighting against injustice. Edwards' artistic license may irk some as Anti-American. It shouldn’t.
The Creatortakes a different stance on the emergence of AI. It could be that simulants are more caring and reinforce our best attributes. Alfie represents the hope that AI will be a savior, not a destroyer. Maybe the machine evolution isn’t the end for us smart primates.
The Creatoris a production of Regency Enterprises, Entertainment One, New Regency, and Bad Dreams. It will be released theatrically on September 29th from20th Century Studios.
The Creator
The Creator is a sci-fi action film from Rogue One director Gareth Edwards. Edwards wrote and directed the movie, which centers on the human race’s war against AI. In the post-apocalyptic world, Joshua (John David Washington) is tasked with finding and killing the architect of the dangerous AI and the mysterious weapon they are developing.
